Back in April, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker became a viral sensation after telling a gathering of New Hampshire Democrats that the party needed fewer “do-nothing political types” and more eager anti-MAGA warriors.

On Sunday, a group of fugitive Texas state lawmakers gave Pritzker the chance to put his (considerable) money where his mouth is.

In a bold declaration that puts him in direct conflict with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), Pritzker vowed to protect the breakaway Democratic lawmakers from Abbott’s threats of partisan lawfare. Both men harbor national ambitions of their own and would delight in humbling Illinois’ swaggering governor on the national stage, but Pritzker is convinced he can outplay them both.

“We’re going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them,” he said at a press conference over the weekend. “We know they’re doing the right thing. We know that they’re following the law.”

Pritzker’s swing at Abbott and Paxton is the first real-world test of the aggressive political doctrine he debuted four months ago in New Hampshire. He’s about to find out if it actually works.

The governor’s strategy........

© The Hill